A Day Out in Cullen
The historic fishing village of Cullen is one of the most beautiful towns along the Banffshire Coast and a popular spot where both locals and tourists head to all year round, thriving with independent shops, markets, places to dine and gorgeous spots to explore.
The immaculately preserved town square is the pride and joy of the friendly local community, lined with traditionally built shops and boutiques guiding the road down to the majestic viaduct and golden sandy beaches.
I often park up underneath the viaduct, pass by “The Three Kings” rocks and pick the ideal spot on Cullen’s kilometre stretch of golden sands to pass by the afternoon (you can often spot seals, dolphins and seabirds frolicking along the horizon). During the summer months, quirky food cabins, ice cream vans and even a handmade pizza kart frequent the bay, however the beach is within walking distance of the town centre shops and cafes. In the opposite direction, the coastal walk along Sunnyside Beach will eventually take you along to the ruined Findlater Castle.
Surfing and paddleboarding is very popular during the summer months, and Blue Coast Surf School offer a brilliant surf school for beginners or more advanced seafarers, definitely worth a try! The neighbouring golf course also welcomes visiting golfers and is in partnership with neighbouring Turriff and Tarlair golf clubs, offering discounted visitor access with the Banffshire Coast Pass.
Home of the world famous Cullen Skink Smoked Haddock soup, food lovers won’t be disappointed either, with The Rockpool Café, Seafield Arms Hotel and Cullen Bay Hotel offer fantastic dining experiences using freshly sourced local produce. Seafield Seafoods, on the high street, also sell fresh seafood and shellfish (ideal for taking back to your cottage at Mayen to cook on the Kamado Barbeque). Of course there is also Linda’s tasty Fish and Chip Shop don’t forget to pop into the ice cream shop on the way home!
Shops and Attractions
Cullen’s colourfully pastel painted high street hosts a diverse array of family-run shops, including Cullen Antique shop (one of several in the town!) which we can only describe as a treasure trove of antique memorabilia, vintage jewellery and a fantastic array of quirky artifacts.
Seafood lovers will love Seafield Seafoods, a gourmet seafood deli proudly serving only the freshest selection of fish, shellfish and lovingly made seafood dishes ready for you to cook or BBQ back at the cottage cottage.
Slightly outside of Cullen, South Lissen’s Pottery and SilkArt workshop is open with daily demonstrations and a beautiful shop which features their magnificent selection of handmade pots, vases and ornaments inspired by the natural Moray Firth Coastline (you can find some of their pieces throughout our Cottages!).
Scenic Walks and Trails
Cullen is also home to some of our favourite walks, and we love walking from Cullen to Sunnyside Beach purely because of the best cliffside views of the Moray Firth and of course it is the most enjoyable way to discover the ruined Findlater Castle, around 2.5 miles from the town. At the other end of town, you can retrace the old railway line over the magnificent viaduct and if you’re feeling ambitious, follow the route to the old fishing village of Portknockie (during the summer, the shore front becomes a seal haven!).
Hometime
Cullen truly offers something for people of all ages to enjoy and our guests regularly comment on how wonderful an experience the town is. Journey back to Mayen can be done through many roads (any route back is peaceful and enjoyable), and you are almost always guaranteed perfect views and beautiful sunsets that you will remember forever.